Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The Geneva
Conference, Volume XVI

Tosec 254. Reference Secto 279 May 21.2 We are disturbed by
persistent Communist bloc attempts during restricted Indochina
meeting May 21 to gain acceptance of principle that all three
Associated States, to some degree at least, should be given
simultaneous consideration and similar treatment.

We note with approval your statements tending to stress essential
difference between Vietnam on the one hand and Laos and Cambodia on
the other. In this connection we refer to Tosec 1523 which states as
seventh principle basic to any acceptable settlement “evacuation of
Vietminh forces from Laos and Cambodia”.

We are apprehensive that if Molotov and DRV
delegation obtain acceptance of proposition that any single
provision or group of provisions is applicable to Indochina as a
whole, way will in effect have been opened for internationally
recognized implantation of Vietminh elements in Laos and
Cambodia.

You should continue vigorously to reject DRV contention that “differences in three States are of
degree but not of kind”. Our contention is that distinction is
precisely one of kind and that failure to insist upon this
difference will tend to extend a kind of recognition to shadow Khmer
and Pathet-Lao. We must decline to be brought into discussion of
Molotov’s point 2, “zones
for regrouping forces”, as this provision might apply to Laos and
Cambodia. Our position with regard to these latter two countries is
that they are victims of foreign [Page 913]aggression and there can be no question of
establishing zones in them for regroupment of enemy forces.

Dulles

Drafted
by Sturm of FE/PSA. Repeated to Paris as telegram 4235 and to
Saigon as telegram 2393.↩